“Do you want my advice, son?” Dad asks, a conspiratorial grin on his face.
“Desperately.”
“This weekend, I want you to be her friend. Her very best friend. Like you used to be. When the guy comes, be nice to him. Be especially nice to him. Act like it doesn’t bother you, no matter how much it does.”
“I don’t know if I can do that. And why would I want to?”
“If you have to ask that question, Chase, then it really isn’t your dream,” Dad says harshly.
I sit quietly and contemplate that. Dad doesn’t say anything further. He just gets up and goes upstairs.
And I don’t know if what he said helped or just confused me more.
Because I don’t think I can be just her friend when I want to be her forever.
Tuesday, November 26th
Total frat.
Chase
I’m unpacking my bag when I hear a car door slam next door. I look out my window and see that Dani has just arrived home.
I run down the stairs, fly out the back door, and haul ass from our backyard to theirs. The dogs follow me, running, barking, and wanting to play, but I don’t have time for that. I go into the garage through the side door and then into the house via the laundry room.
I take a deep breath to slow my heart rate and step into the kitchen.
Danny and Jennifer are greeting Dani and the guy by the front door.
Dani looks as beautiful as always, but my eyes go to the competition.
The guy—the boyfriend—is dressed in total frat. Khakis, button-down, bow tie, blazer. If I had to guess, it’s all Brooks Brothers or J.Crew. I never really cared about brands all that much, other than sports apparel, but since I’ve been modeling, I’ve learned a surprising amount about them. And I know bow ties are very cool on the right person. A few of my favorite pro QBs wear them often, and I think they look very dapper, I guess you’d say, in them. This guy looks like he’s trying too hard. I size him up some more as he tells them about how he’s in a fraternity.
Shocker.
How he’s majoring in accounting.
Insert eye roll.
But then Dani wraps her arm around his and says proudly, “Eddie is a scratch golfer, Dad.”
And I realize that’s more how I’d peg him. Like the guy in that old movie, Caddyshack—golfing all day, drinking and picking up women all night.
I wouldn’t say he’s good-looking, but he seems to have the charm factor going on because something he says causes Jennifer to giggle.
“We all love to golf,” Danny says to the guy.
“Really? I would have bet that your kids were born with a football in their hands,” he says, reaching down and picking up one off the floor, seemingly to prove his point.
It’s the dog’s toy, but whatever.
“I was raised with a club in mine. My family is really close.”
“Eddie’s family owns the country club in his hometown,” Dani says.
I like a good country club as much as anyone, and I love to golf, but it’s time to make my presence known.
I walk into the room, causing Dani’s eyes to go wide with shock.
Eddie sees me and immediately comes to shake my hand. “You must be Damon. Nice to meet you,” he says, looking up at me. “You’re bigger than I thought.”
Dani looks like she wants to correct him, but instead, she’s just staring at me. And I know why. I’m wearing all black. On purpose.
“That’s because I’m not Damon.” I look from Dani to him. “We don’t really look related, do we?”
He studies me, confused, but now, he’s quickly trying to figure out my threat level.
I decide to help him out. “Nice to meet you. I’m Chase.”
“Chase,” Jennifer says, coming to give me a hug.
What can I say? She loves me.
Jennifer and I are like kindred spirits, except she says what she thinks in a way I never could. I mean, not to be gross, but Damon’s stepmom is pretty hot, and I never really mind it.
“You’re back!”
“Where were you?” Eddie asks. “At college?”
“Oh, no. He’s a high school senior, like Damon. But he was off, modeling again,” Jennifer says, patting my chest.
Big strapping boy that I am.
I smile and wave toward the only girl I have eyes for in any room. “Hey, Dani. Welcome home. How’s college?” I let out a laugh and look at Eddie. “You brought home a guy, so it must be good.”
I’m worried her dad can see right through my charade and is going to call me on it, but he just says, “Why don’t we all go sit down?”
Which is like music to my ears.
“So, Eddie,” I ask the guy, “if you are so close to your family, that must mean Dani is really special—to take you away from them on such an important family holiday.”
Eddie goes, “Oh, no,” and I can’t help but break out in a smile and glance at Dani.
See, he doesn’t really care that much about you.
“I went home last weekend for my great-grandmother’s eighty-seventh birthday, and we celebrated Thanksgiving early since everyone was in town.”
I guess that’s reasonable.
Damon rolls in the side door just as we’re all shuffling into the family room. And Damon isn’t exactly quiet about anything he does.
“Dude,” he says to me, not even noticing anyone else in the room, “you just missed Sally Ann’s boobs falling out of her—”
His dad clears his throat.
“Oh shit,” Damon says, seeing the train wreck behind me. But as is his style, he can roll with anything. He picks his sister up and gives her a bear hug—something he never does. And then he turns toward the threat. “And you must be the new boy toy.”
“Damon,” Jennifer says while his dad chuckles.
Danny works his way into the kitchen and grabs some beers.
And starts passing them out.
“Oh, none for me,” I say to him. “I actually just stopped by to drop something off in Dani’s room. She forgot it last time she was over.” I’m such a liar.
This gets both her and frat boy’s attention. For different reasons, obviously. I take something out of my pocket and toss it to Dani, who is now sitting on the couch. She catches it easily. One of the things I’ve always loved about her is her excellent eye-hand coordination.
I turn to Damon and say, “You ready?”
Damon drops his duffel on the floor. “Yeah.”
“Where are you going?” his dad asks. “Your sister just got home.”
“Figured I’d let you interrogate the new guy on your own, Dad. Chase and I have some business to attend to.”
“What business?” Dani asks. She’s got a smirk on her face, like she thinks it has to do with girls.
“One Eleven,” I say, watching her lips turn down.
“We have some new designs to go over with Hay Girl,” Damon adds. He flashes his watch and says, “Won’t be more than an hour. We can have all sorts of fun family bonding when I get back.” He runs his hand across his stomach. “And hopefully dinner.”
“We’re having dinner at the Mackenzies’ house tonight,” Jennifer tells him. “It’s their annual Taco Tuesday Thanksgiving kickoff celebration.”